Carved
by Adelaide Ann
Summary: When Duo arrives on Sanc Island, following a terrible accident, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery and makes some new friends along the way. However, no journey is smooth and without its upheavals. Will Duo get the confidence to enter Sanc Island's prestigious surf Competition and complete the dream that he and Solo had, and will he find his own purpose as well? Duo POV
1. Chapter 1 - Shaka

**Carved**

**Chapter 1: Shaka**

_"The Heart of man is very much like the ocean, it has its storms, it has its tides, and in its depths, it has its pearls too."_

_Vincent van Gogh_

I arrived on the shores of Sanc Island to find some of the will that I'd lost, what seems like ages ago but was really only about a month ago. I was still trying to wrap my head around the loss of my brother, Solo. When he'd died I did what I do best, I ran away. I decided to hide from the world, I wasn't ready to go back to the competition circuit and I know that I had let a great many people down. But that paled in comparison to know I'd let Solo down.

I shook my head from my thoughts as they started to once again take a depressing turn and allowed myself to be lulled into a sense of peace and serenity by the sounds of the waves and the ocean breeze. I always felt at home in the ocean, like I was one with the water, when it graciously allowed me the honor to ride on top of its powerful surface. There was nothing more amazing than the feeling of the board vibrating under your feet as you rode through the barrel of the wave, racing against the ocean's tentative allowance to get out before it decided to drop you into its folds and put you at its mercy. It was terrifying… it was exhilarating… I was probably really crazy.

Most surfers go out during the day in groups or pairs. Some go out at least at sunrise; they call themselves the 'Dawn Patrol.' Yet, here I was on the water, its depths pitch-black, at about 5:00am with only the moon providing me with any light… alone. Like I said, I'm probably really crazy and if anyone were to see me out here they'd probably think I had a death wish. In my defense, I'm not completely out of my mind… I did stick with the part of the surf that the locals dubbed 'Coral Beach,' where the waves didn't reach higher than your average surfer. Despite its name, this area had a soft sand bottom completely devoid of coral and other things I could hurt myself on. I was completely confident in my abilities.

As I popped up on my board and rode a nice wave, even though it wasn't going to barrel, I decided that it would be my last for the morning. I could tell that the sun was about to start its ascent into the skies and the dawn patrol would be gathering their boards soon and heading out into the waves. I didn't want to surf with others in the water, I didn't want anyone to get hurt if I messed up. One thing I'd learned from my days with Solo was to always decide on your last wave of the day after you'd surfed it. Superstition was strong in the surfing community and at first, I didn't believe in it myself, but then I'd seen too many people mess up when they ignored it. I'm not attributing anything to higher power, they most likely just psyched themselves out and that was good enough for me. The ocean in all its might and glory was the closest thing I admitted could be attributed to a higher power, it was beautiful, but it was also merciless. The waters brought life, but they also could bring death if you weren't smart or careful.

When I got back to shore there was a sandy colored dog waiting for me, like it had been for the past couple of weeks. I didn't know who he belonged to, but his owner didn't seem to mind because he was here every day like clockwork. The dog and I had a routine at this point; I'd surf, he'd wait until I got close enough, and then he'd run into the water and around my legs, barking happily and dropping a tennis ball at my feet in the sand. He was definitely a mutt, but he had to be at least part Labrador, because he loved the water fiercely. He barked at me and jumped up, impatient for me to throw the ball. I picked it up, "Is this what you want boy?" I asked, and he answered with another short bark. I chuckled as I threw the ball as far as I could along the shoreline and he took off after it, kicking up sand and some water on me. I walked over to where I dropped my backpack on the beach that morning and grabbed a towel, drying myself off while the dog ran back with the ball and sat down at my feet, tail wagging so hard I thought he might turn into a speed boat if he were in the water.

I reached into my bag and pulled out a little bag of dog treats that I'd bought the day before. I'd felt bad that I never had anything to give him and he was such a good boy. I really did enjoy his company in the mornings. He pushed his nose against my hand impatiently and dropped the soggy ball from his mouth and gave me another short bark, tongue hanging out of his mouth in anticipation for what he could smell was coming. I chuckled and scratched him behind the ears as he licked my fingers hungrily. I opened my hand and gave him the treat, which he accepted readily, and I sat down in the sand next to him.

"I wonder what your name is," I said to him, letting my fingers bury themselves in his wet fur. I smiled as I thought about how serene this place was and how comforting this random dog's presence was to me. I threw the ball for him one last time before I had to leave. After a couple of weeks of searching for a job, so that I could eat something I didn't have to either catch or pick, I finally managed to get one the day before at the local grocery shop. The owner, Howard, was a sarcastic but nice older man and he'd had an accident a couple of days before, making it difficult to help the customers out the way he wanted to. He needed the help and I didn't the job. Most of the other places I'd looked were very skeptical of outsiders and when I would see a help wanted sign and go in they would inform me that they'd conveniently filled the position. I didn't let it bother me and I just kept trudging along. I decided that persistence was the key. If I didn't find anything I was full prepared to live my best island hermit life like Tom Hanks in Cast Away. I would have to draw the line at befriending a volleyball named Wilson, like I said I'm not completely crazy.

I was grateful to Howie when he gave me the job. I'd left my home in Elto with only what cash I had in my wallet and ditched my cell phone and bank cards. I didn't want anyone to find me, unless I wanted to be found. Because of that choice, I didn't really have that much money to my name and I was starting to run on fumes. Thankfully thee was a little abandoned beach shack out of the way of the normal beach traffic, nestled in a little grove of fruit trees. After doing a quick look around the place, I'd decided that it wasn't currently being used and hadn't been for a while. There was a small twin sized mattress on the floor, in what I assumed was the bedroom, and I put down a couple of blankets to make it more comfortable. I was happy that it had a bed, but all I was really looking for was at least a roof… there wasn't any running water however. I had taken to using the beach showers on my way back from the beach to clean off, which suited me just fine.

When I got back to my shack, I placed my board just inside the door and striped out of my wet boardies and slipped on a fresh pair of boxers. I rustled through my duffle bag and found a clean shirt and a pair of shorts and put them on, finally slipping on a beat-up pair of TOMS on my feet. I shut the door behind me and started my jog into town, to Howie's shop. I like the 3-mile jog, it gave me a nice after-surf workout and helped dry my hair a bit. I was in good shape, so I barely broke a sweat, despite the hot and humid climate. When I arrived at the store, I opened the door and called out, "Hello?" when I didn't see Howard behind the counter.

"In the back," he barked back. I walked, swiftly, to the back of the store. I didn't want to mess anything up on my first day. When I got there Howard was grumbling to himself and swearing quietly as he looked over a mess on the floor. Two of the shelves had fallen down and their contents were thrown all over the floor. I chuckled when I saw Howard glaring at them, as if he could scare them into magically righting themselves.

"Need some help?" I asked, making my presence known.

"I'm not an invalid." I looked at him, leg in cast and standing propped up on crutches. I knew there was no way he was going to be able to clean up the mess, and so did he. But, he was proud and stubborn, which I could respect. He sighed as I walked past him and effortlessly put the shelves back in their rightful places and started on putting their contents back as well. "Glad you're here, kid. You think you'll be good if I go back home and rest?"

"Sure thing, old man!" I teased him. "I've got this, don't worry," I said when he raised an eyebrow at me. I know that I haven't know him for long, but he took my teasing for what it was and laughed. He handed me the keys to the shop and started to head out the backdoor.

"Make sure you count the money at the end of the day and put it in the safe back here. The store closes at 8:00pm and the code is 7783," he said. "Whipper snapper," he added for good measure, causing me to snort. Not only did he take my teasing well, but he dished it back out as well. I had a feeling the Howie and I were going to get along just fine. He waved as I want back to the front of the store and grabbed a magazine before sitting behind the counter to wait for customers. I grabbed the latest edition of Surf'd, a local Elto surfing magazine that I was surprised was in a store on the other side of the world. I groaned when my saw the picture on the cover, it was of Solo and I surfing a wave together, we were nothing more than small black dots against the monstrosity of a wave. I almost put it back, not wanting to see the article that I knew would be in the center spread, but then I decided to just read around it and pretend it didn't exist.

The morning went by smoothly with a few customers here and there coming in, one in particular stuck with me though. She had to have been at least 80 to 90 years old, and boy was she flirtatious and forward. I guess when you reach a certain age, you just don't care what people think anymore. I was also grateful the Howie had let me have some bread, meat, and cheese that would be expiring that day and I made myself a sandwich for lunch. It was the best thing I'd eaten in a long time and my stomach had gurgled appreciatively. After a diet of fish and fruit, a plain sandwich tasted like a little slice of heaven.

I finished reading an article about a new type of board wax, when I heard the bell ding, signaling a new customer. I looked up and saw four guys, probably not much older than me, walk in and talking loudly. I kept a wary eye on them, back in Elto a group like that would have spelled trouble. I watched as the tallest two walked to the meat section and a Chinese looking man walked over to the aisle with the chips and dips. "Did you see the news, Wufei?" I heard one of them ask, looking at the guy in the chips section. The one that talked was tall and muscular, but not overly so, with light brown hair. He looked like he might have been the oldest of the bunch, probably close to Solo's age… I felt a small pain my chest at the thought of Solo.

"About the Gundams? Yeah, Treize I saw it."

The Gundams was a prestigious surfing competition that was held here on Sanc Island. This year it was being held in October, where the waves would be at their height. Solo and I had been looking forward to it when we'd both been informed that we were invited to participate. After the accident I'd decided to come here on my own… I wasn't even entirely certain I was still interested in competing without him. I had plenty of time to decide, I was officially on a hiatus for the 2019 season due to 'injuries.'

"Are you going to join in and try to qualify this year?" a tall blonde one asked. Wufei, as his friends had called him, looked at him like he'd grown another head.

"Of course, I'm not clucked!" Wufei said indignantly. The others three chuckled at his reaction. "What about you Zechs?"

The blonde looked like he was pondering the decision for a moment. "Me? Hmmmm," Wufei tapped his foot as he went back to surveying the chip selection. "Yeah, I reckon I'll try. I'm not as good as you all though." Another tall brunette snorted. He had dark brown hair and an emerald green eye… I was only able to see the one because the rest was hidden behind a waterfall of hair that hung-over part of his face. "Oh, shut up Trowa… not all of us can be as good as you! You qualified already didn't you?"

"Yeah," Trowa answered. "I got in during the first qualifier a couple of weeks ago." I thought back to the week I'd arrived at Sanc and vaguely remembered that there had been a competition going on, must have been one of the local qualifying rounds. They all just chuckled again and went back to looking through the aisles. Judging by what they were putting in their baskets it looked likely they were going to be having a rather large barbeque that night. The thought of it made my stomach growl, what I wouldn't give for some good old barbequed food instead of fish and fruit.

"What about Heero and Quatre?" Treize asked. "Are they going to try as well?"

"Quatre doesn't compete…" Trowa said.

"Heero hadn't entered a competition since…" Wufei started with a somber tone. "Not since she died…" the other man just nodded and let it go. "We don't want to push him."

"Maybe that's for the best… then the rest of us will at least have a chance." Treize laughed.

Trowa walked up to the counter and put his basket down with a rather loud thump, startling me out of my thoughts and eavesdropping. "So, you gonna ring me up, or not…?" he asked, giving me a confused look and quirked his eyebrow. I figured he was just confused, like the other customers from earlier had been, when he saw that there was someone other than Howard behind the counter… someone new to town. I rang up his four twelve-packs of beer and blocked out the rest of the conversation that was going on. "$51.98, please."

He handed me a credit card, narrowing his eyes slightly. I was uncomfortable and it made me feel judged. I looked down at my shirt and noticed a couple small holes in it, but that wasn't a reason to give me the stink eye. I didn't like it when people judged me before they even knew me, it typically made me defensive. I pushed those feelings aside as I swiped his card and handed it back to him, along with the receipt. I'd given myself a makeover before I ran, so I doubted that he recognized me, this was a relatively smaller island in Australia, which was on the other side of the world from where I was from.

The blonde with the meat basket, Zechs, came up next. "Did you see that some of the big-name Pros are coming this year? The one they call 'Reaper' got invited." My ears perked up at the nickname. "Pretty cool if you ask me to have the Title holder participating this year." He seemed excited about the prospect. When he saw me however, he paused for a moment in surprise. "Where's the boss?" he asked. After a few customers earlier in the day I'd realized that 'the boss' was what people around here called Howie.

"He's at home resting, had a bit of an accident and needed help in the shop." I answered as I started to scan the items, they had quite the selection. My stomach got jealous and angry at me again. I silently willed it to calm down before it embarrassed me. "He should be back soon, though."

He nodded his head and looked at me again. "Sorry, we just don't usually get many outsiders here…" then the door flew open and the bell dinged to announce a new arrival. When I looked up there was a new guy, another brunette, in front of me at the counter with a sneer on his sharp features.

"Give me a pack of those cigarettes," he demanded and pointed at a small green carton, placing a twenty on the counter. I ignored him and went back to ringing up the meat. "Hey… did you hear me or are you deaf?" He was impatient and obviously was getting angrier at every passing moment. Something Solo used to say to me popped into my head at that moment. _Remember, anger is just one letter short of danger._

Looking up at him I said, "There's a line, the back of it is that way." I pointed behind Wufei and his basket of chips.

"Do I look like I wait in lines?" he growled. I looked at him, honestly, he looked like a douche who was used to intimidating people to get his way. I figured it was best not to say that out loud though, I doubted that Howie would appreciate it if I egged this guy on to fighting me in the store.

"Then go wait someone else?" I said, looking him in the eyes. I held his gaze and didn't flinch when he smacked his hand on the counter. I'd had guys' way scarier than this guy try to intimidate me, unsuccessfully, before and this guy would not get a rise out of me. After all, I'd promised Solo that I wouldn't start anymore fights when he took me in. I felt like I always drew in the wrong kinds of crowds… he'd just joked that maybe I _was_ the wrong crowd.

"You don't want to make me your enemy," he snapped. Reaching his hand out towards my face like he was going to pat me on the cheek was something that I couldn't stand for though. I'd grown up on the streets and I didn't take kindly to people touching me without my permission. I slapped his hand away from me, and that just pissed him off further.

I saw the punch coming and I ducked in time to avoid to blow. When he'd gathered his balance again, he spat at me, hitting me in the front of my shirt. I looked down at my shirt in disgust, and he tried to fly over the counter at me to probably punch me again. Next thing I knew he was roughly flying backwards and was roughly shoved away by the two other guys, who'd now come and joined their friends at the counter. I took a deep breath to calm myself.

"Mueller!" someone yelled from outside, "hurry the fuck up!"

The angry brunette shook off Treize and Wufei and glared at me before shouting back. "Coming!" He picked up his money that had fallen on the floor during the altercation, if you could call it that, and slapped it down onto the counter and reached behind me for the pack of cigarettes he'd wanted. "Keep the change, he spat. "You're gonna need it for a new shirt." He turned around and stormed back out of the shop as quickly as he'd come in. I let out a sigh of relief when he was gone.

I turned towards the group of guys, embarrassed, and said, "Thanks." I was grateful that they intervened before things got nasty, but I was still embarrassed they had to witness a display like that in the first place. The last thing I wanted was to have the locals start to think that I was a trouble maker. They burst into laughter and I blinked in surprise. What were they laughing at me for? "Sorry…" Zechs wheezed, between laughs. "I've never seen Mueller so off his game before." I smiled and went back to ringing up their food. "For an outsider you definitely handled yourself better than I'd expected." I decided to take it as a compliment.

"Thanks, is he always like that?"

"Pretty much, he's a total douche." Trowa said with a smirk, and I laughed.

"Well my mouth has gotten me into trouble before…" I said as I put the last of the meat in a bag. "$72.35, please." Treize handed me exact change and then it was time for the chips. Yeah, they were definitely going to be having a barbeque. I looked at the clock, 6pm… I had two more hours of work before I could close up and go catch myself some dinner. I had to stop myself from groaning.

When they were done, Zechs extended a hand out to me. "I'm Zechs, though I figure you already gathered that."

I took his hand and shook it, smiling, "Duo," I said.

"Well, nice to meet you, Duo." He grabbed all the bags and went to leave with his friends. "Welcome to Sanc."

I watched as they left, they'd been a lot nicer than I originally thought they'd be. I tried to convince myself it had nothing to do with the fact that they were obviously surfers. I didn't need more surfer friends in my life, too many ways to get hurt… to lose someone. I did envy the ease of their conversation and the passion they'd had when they'd spoken about the Gundams. I missed being able to talk to Solo like that… I missed Solo…. I envied them.

_**-To Be Continued...-**_

_Disclaimers:_

_Typical general disclaimers apply. I do no own Gundam Wing, but I really wish I did. I am not profiting from the use of the characters or the names involved._

_My next disclaimer is: After reading yaruna's story "Rip Current" ( Story ID: 117228671) I messaged her and asked if I could write a sequel of my own for her story. She said yes as long as I made sure to say that it was an unofficial one. I was excited! Then I when I was reading through her story again I decided that there were some things that I'd like to adjust and tweak, using her story but also making one of my own. I asked her if I could do that and she said she was fine with it, as long as I made sure to put a link to her original story in here, which I've now just done. Her story is amazing, and I greatly encourage anyone who is reading mine and hasn't seen hers yet, please do._

_That being said, a lot of names for places, things, and people in mine I've pulled directly from her story, with some of the beginning plot essentially being the same as well… it will start to diverge in a different direction as the story goes on._


	2. Chapter 2 - Choppy

Carved

Chapter 2: Choppy

"The night is the hardest time to be alive, and 4 a.m. knows all my secrets."

Poppy Z. Brite

I thrust my board into the soft sand of the beach, at the edge where the water came up and kissed the shore. The moon was shining brightly in the dark, and I took a deep breath as I sat on the cold sand with my back to my board. I looked up at the stars and watched as they twinkled high above and lost myself in their beauty for a bit. When I came to my senses I looked out over the water.

During the day the ocean looked welcoming and beautiful, luring people into its depths. In the dark the ocean looked dangerous, like it was supposed to. The darkness suited me better now, the dark depths and I became one. I spilled all of my pain and fears into them and they allowed me passage and a chance to cleanse myself of my worries. Surfing was wonderful, it allowed me to live in the moment. I would leave the past behind me and I wouldn't dwell on what the future held… it was just me and the water, communing with each other on a primal level, dancing together in an unearthly waltz.

I grabbed my board from the sand and started my descent into those inviting depths, the swells were roughly as high as my waist and relatively calm… perfect for a relaxing morning. I was out again at 4 a.m., wanting to get a little bit of peaceful surfing in before I had to head into town and back to work at Howie's shop. My heart swelled with the first wave that I caught when I popped up onto my board. It felt so nice, so right to glide over the water.

I felt the wind whip my hair behind me as I pulled my board up over the lip and floated for a few moments on the top of the wave. I allowed myself some simple maneuvers that I knew I could easily do in the dark, in my condition. But then with one wave I saw an opportunity that I couldn't let past me and I decided to take a chance. I flew up over the lip of the wave and grabbed my board with one hand as I spun 360-degrees in the air with a huge smile on my face, landing the aerial neatly in the white water. I chuckled as I allowed myself to fall backwards off my board before climbing back on top of it. That was a rush.

I continued with the simple maneuvers on some more small waves for the better part of an hour before I heard the sharp bark behind me. I turned around and saw the sandy dog on the shore, standing at the water's edge, tail wagging and looking out at me with excitement. I wondered absentmindedly how long he'd been sitting there for. Shrugging my shoulders I caught one more wave before I decided to head back to shore, riding it to the shoreline, and hopping off my board. The dog came running towards me, splashing happily, tongue hanging out the side of his mouth. I bent down, chuckling, as I ruffled the fur on top of his head.

We walked together to the spot I'd dropped my backpack at, and I shoved my board back into its spot in the sand before plopping down in front of it. Digging through my bag, I pulled out the tennis ball I had for him and perked up, barking at me excitedly. I laughed as I tossed the ball down the beach and watched as he took off after it as fast as he could, legs pushing him forward and kicking up sand in his wake. The sun was starting to come up and I decided to lean back with my bag under my head and bask in its cool orange glow. I sighed, content with the world, until I found myself rudely jarred in the stomach, the wind getting knocked out of me by a dog that decided to find a good position to lay on top of my chest. "Jeez buddy, you're a little big for this aren't you?" I rolled over onto my side, dislodging him and relieving the pressure. Much better… I settled with wrapping my arm around him as he proceeded to lick whichever part of me was in reach.

I don't know how long we'd laid there for, but I was jostled out of my peace when I started to hear the sound of distant voices further up the beach, the dawn patrol had arrived. Sitting up I reached inside my backpack again and fished out the little bag of dog treats. Seeing what I was getting made the dog suddenly start wagging his motorboat trail and yelp at me happily. I chuckled as I handed him a treat and he ate it in one big gulp and licked my face. I laughed, and then he suddenly turned his head sharply to look behind me and I looked with him. Then I heard the sharp whistle that he must have heard a moment ago and I figured whoever owned him had come looking for him. The dog took of then, kicking sand up in my face as he ran off in the sounds' direction. "Yeah, goodbye to you too bud!" I called after him and shook my head.

I zipped my bag closed again and stood up, throwing it over my shoulder. I grabbed my board and turned around to head back to the shack and get ready for work, but I was stopped by a pair of ocean blue eyes glaring right at me. If a look was capable of freezing all of the blood in my body, it definitely would have been the one he was giving me. I gulped and stared into his deep, dark blue eyes… they reminded me of the ocean waters in the dark, beautiful… misleading… dangerous. I was snapped out of my trance by an angry snap. "What the hell have you been giving my dog?"

"Huh?" I said, mouth hanging open. I looked down next to him, and noticed the sandy dog looking between us, confused.

"I said what the hell have you been giving to my dog?"

"I just gave him a couple of dog treats?" It came out more as a question than a statement.

He stepped closer to me, eyes swirling angrily, dark brown hair whipping around his head in the breeze. I gulped again, he was beautiful. "You don't give someone else's dog food!" He barked at me and I realized that he was pissed off at me… I immediately went on the defensive.

"Chill out, dude!" I snapped at him. "It was just a couple of treats!" I didn't appreciate the hostility in his voice, I crossed my arms over my chest and glared right back at him. I didn't know he was so sensitive about his dog, he could have just told me and chalked it up to a misunderstanding. But no… Mr. Angry-eyes here had to skip straight to aggression.

"Are you careless or just an idiot?" he ground out. I flinched. Let's add personal insults to the list of ways that a situation could go from bad to worse. What was this guys' deal?

"Hey look, I'm sorry… I didn't think anything of it, and I was wrong." I held my hands up to try and calm down the situation. I didn't want to cause any trouble.

"You think?" Ok, I was trying to diffuse a situation and he was just going to continue with anger? I wasn't going to allow myself to get angry, I really didn't want to say or do something that I would regret later.

"Dude, I'm trying to apologize here… I won't give him anything anymore." I said. He glared at me, and then looked down at his dog. The dog was whining a bit a nudging his master with his nose. The confrontation was obviously making him uncomfortable as well.

"Damn right you wont," he said and grabbed my bag from my shoulder, roughly.

"Hey!" I shouted as he dug through my personal items and pulled out the bag of treats.

"Just taking these," he snapped and tossed my backpack back into my chest and turned to leave. He tossed the bag into a nearby trashcan as he walked away down the beach. The dog followed him, looking back at me occasionally. He seemed torn between going with his owner and running back to me. I liked the dog's company, but I didn't want it if it meant getting into fights with the locals.

"Asshole," I breathed, and started to jog the opposite direction to the shack.

It took me about 15 minutes to get cleaned up and dressed before I was jogging my way into town and back to Howard's shop. When I got there, I put the key into the door and jiggled it, frowning when it didn't budge. I pushed the door and almost panicked when it swung open. I was sure that I'd locked the door before I left the night before. I snapped my head around when I heard the gruff laugh behind me. It was Howard, having ditched his crutches today for a nice little walking cast. My heart sank, and it must have shown on my face.

"Why so glum kiddo?" he asked.

"Well, you're doing better!" I smiled at him, a little forced.

"Jeez, hold back your joy," he laughed. "It's not like I'm firing you now that I can stand on my own again."

I looked at him, smile on my face, I was relieved to hear that. I needed the job and I didn't really want to have to go back to hunting for a new one. "Thanks!"

"Now, go and open up the shop and make yourself useful before I change my mind." I laughed and ran to the front of the store and flipped the sign from closed to open, before unlocking the door. When I opened the door I saw the old woman from the previous day waiting outside. She smiled sweetly at me as she came in an grabbed a basket.

"Need any help, ma'am?" I asked with a smile.

"Oh! Such a nice young lad, thank you," she said and handed me her basket as I followed her down the first aisle. We took our time as she pointed to items that were higher up and she would watch me appreciatively as I reached up to get the items for her. I smiled at her when I caught her staring at me. She patted me on the arm, "cute dimples," then she grabbed my bicep and squeezed slightly, making a small oohing sound, which caused me to laugh out right. We continued like that for a little while more before the bell dinged, signaling the next customer.

"Boss?" whoever had entered called out.

"He's in the back, I'll be with you in a minute though!" I called back to him. There was a snort from the entrance and then some shuffling, as I heard whoever it was start working his way through the other aisles.

"I'm done now, sweetie," the woman said and hooked her arm through mine. I led her towards the back counter and started to ring up her purchases. Once she had paid I helped her to her car with the bags.

"You're a good kid," she said and gave me another sweet smile.

"Thank you, ma'am." I chuckled.

"Now, back to work with you!" I waved at her as she drove off before I turned back to go into the store and it dawned at me that I'd left the other customer in there alone. When I got back to the counter, I saw the guy from that morning leaning against the counter. When he noticed me his face took on a look of impatience and he narrowed his eyes and lifted an eyebrow. His eyes were truly beautiful.

I was shaken from my thoughts by his indignant voice, "do you treat all things this negligently?" I sighed, I really didn't want to get into a fight here, I just let the insult roll off of me like water from a wave.

"How can I help you?" I said as I looked up at him. I had to hide my annoyance at the face that he was taller than I'd realized, and now he was smirking as he looked down at me. I shifted my weight uncomfortably. I'm afraid to admit that I jumped a bit when he tossed a pack of gum down onto the counter.

"I need some aspirin as well," he said. I bent down to find the drawer that held the aspirin, wondering if this guy had been at the barbeque last night, and if that was why he had a headache. "Third on your left," he said, and I fished it from the indicated drawer before ringing it up.

"$6.20, please," I said and he handed me the money. "I'm really sorry about this morning," I said as I handed him his change.

"Don't worry about it," he answered as he grabbed his bag. I wasn't expecting that with how angry he'd been. He looked at me again, and I felt like I was going to get lost in his eyes before he jerked his head around and headed out the door.

"See you around," I said as the door closed behind him and I leaned against the counter with a wistful look on my face. Why was I such an idiot… getting caught up in this asshole, when he obviously hated me. I was jolted from my thoughts when Howie stepped through the door with a small handful of papers and a pen.

"Here ya go, kid." He handed the pile to me. "Sign these and you officially work here."

"Really?"

"Yeah," he said as he turned around to head back to the backroom. "You'll work Monday through Saturday from 7am to 2pm. You'll be opening up the shop, so I expect you to be one time.

"Got it!" I chirped as I looked through the paperwork. It was a standard contract with a decent wage, I signed on the dotted line and took the papers back to him at his desk.

"Welcome aboard, kiddo," he laughed and shook my hand. I went back out to the front and took my seat behind the counter again. There were a few more customers that came in and out throughout the day and I took to reading a book that Howard had lent me between them. The bell dinged again and I looked up as I saw Trowa approach the counter. His eyes were bloodshot and I smirked.

"Rough night?" I asked. He groaned, putting his head into his hands and rested his elbows on the counter. "Sorry," I whispered, and heard a light chuckle. That's when I noticed the blonde that was with him. It wasn't Zechs, it was a different guy, one that I hadn't seen yet. I looked at him, he had a nice face and soft, kind light blue eyes. His face was framed by wavy blonde curls. When he noticed me, he smiled sweetly in my direction. He was kind of adorable… I shook my head and looked up at his face.

He set a bottle of sunscreen on the counter and smiled at Trowa, "I think we'll need some aspirin for him as well." He laughed as he pointed to Trowa with his thumb. "I still don't understand why you didn't buy this stuff yesterday…"

"Forgot," Trowa muttered and put his arm around the blonde and gave him a small smile. "Condoms too," he winked at me and the blonde blushed furiously.

"Trowa!" he said in an embarrassed tone and tried to hide his face.

"Hey, you don't mind when it's just the boss."

"He's not…"

So hot?" Trowa chuckled and I was thankful that my face was hidden behind the counter because I was sure that I was at least as red as the blonde was. I found the drawer with the condoms and rang them up with the sunscreen and aspirin.

"Anything else?"

"Nope, all good." Trowa said and grabbed the bag. The blonde pulled out his credit card, it was a Black Card. I raised my eyebrow, he looked a bit young to be using a card like that. I swiped it and figured he was probably just some trust fund kid. He was nice, so I wasn't going to judge him.

"I'm Quatre, by the way," he said and held out his hand. I stared at him, taken by surprise, before I grabbed his hand and shook it.

"I'm Duo,"

"Where are you from?" he asked, smiling at me. "I've never seen you before… I guess… I mean… do you know anyone?"

I smiled widely at him, no one had bothered to ask me before. The locals all seemed to keep me at an arms distance to an extent so far. I guess since I was working in the shop it was safe to get to know me, I wasn't going to be going anywhere anytime soon.

"Elto Beach," I said.

"Oh, cool! Why'd you decide to move here to Australia?"

I chuckled. "I came a couple weeks back, not exactly sure why… just needed a change of pace I guess."

He leaned against the counter, talking to me comfortably. "How long are you gonna be here for?" he asked.

"Not sure," I pondered as I leaned against the counter behind me. "I hadn't really thought about it." It was definitely true… I had kind of just gotten onto a plane and the next thing I knew I was here on the island, without a plan. "I'm kind of just winging it. I'll definitely be here until the end of the year at least."

"Quatre, let's go!" Trowa called from the front of the store. "We need to hurry up, the others are waiting!"

"One sec!" he called back. Turning to me he smiled, "We're gonna be at the beach if you'd like to join us when you get off work. We're usually there until later in the evening."

"Thank, I'll try to swing by if I have time." I said and he nodded. We said our goodbyes and he jogged through the store to catch up to Trowa. I had the time, I just wasn't sure that I wanted to go and hang out with a bunch of people at the beach. I did prefer my alone time in the dark. But, if I was planning on staying here for a while, then maybe it wouldn't hurt to make some friends. I was startled when Howard snuck up behind me and slapped a hand on my shoulder, causing me to jump.

"You're done for the day, kid." I looked at the clock on the wall, it was 2 o'clock, well I'll be damned. "Get out of here, go and enjoy the rest of your weekend and I'll see ya on Monday morning."

"Thanks Howie! See ya Monday!" I said as I grabbed my backpack and bounced out the front door. I had a smile on my face as I jogged my way back to the shack. I decided that I'd head down to the beach and meet up with Trowa and Quatre, but I wasn't going to surf, I'd just hang out on the beach and watch them for a bit and relax. It would do me some good to get to know people and make some new friends, Solo would have been proud of me.


	3. Chapter 3 - Firing

Carved

Chapter 3: Firing

* * *

When I got back to my shack after work, I changed out of my clothes and into a pair of boardies with a rash guard. Throwing on my flip-flops I cast a glance at my board, wondering if I should take it out with me or leave it behind. I shook my head and decided that today I was just going to go watch. I wanted to get a feel for what everyone was like when they were in the water, what type of surfers they were, before I ventured out there with them.

Quatre may have invited me to come and hang out there with them, but I didn't want to fool myself, I was still the new guy… the outsider. Most locals didn't take kindly to 'tourists' sharing their waves with them. I took one more look at my board leaning against the wall, shouldered my backpack and headed out the door.

I wasn't exactly sure where their surfing spot was, so I decided to just head down the beach until I spotted someone familiar in the crowd. When I saw the familiar colored sandy dog I smiled. Looking around I didn't notice the dog's owner anywhere so I went over and plopped myself down next to him. His tail started wagging with a vengeance when he noticed me, obviously happy to see me.

We sat there for a while next to each other, my hand absently petting him on the head. I was perfectly content sitting there in the warm sand with this dog panting next to me. It wasn't the dog's fault he had an asshole for an owner. He laid his head down on my lap and rolled onto his side, looking up at me expectantly. I chuckled as I started to rub his belly, and I knew I'd found that sweet spot when his back leg started thumping.

"I see you've already met Zero," someone laughed behind me and I looked up. I had to shield my eyes from the glaring sun, but when they adjusted I noticed Quatre, surfboard under his arm and a smile on his face. He wasn't wet, so I figured he'd just gotten here himself, or at least he hadn't decided to go into the water yet. He wedged his board into the sand next to me and sat down in its shadow.

"We've met a few times now."

"Figures, Heero usually lets him run around on his own." Quatre said as he leaned back on his hands and looked out over the ocean.

"Ah, so tall, dark, and angry has a name does he?" I asked with a nervous chuckle.

Quatre looked at me, amusement displayed on his angelic face. "I see you've met him as well then?"

"You could say that…" I shivered. "I don't think they guy likes me much."

Quatre just nodded his head, not entirely surprised. "Heero's… well he's Heero. He doesn't take too kindly to outsiders and first and can be a bit… prickly?"

"I can tell," I sighed and went back to rubbing Zero on his belly again. I looked over and saw Quatre watching me with an amused expression. "Is there something on my face?" I was starting to get a little self-conscious.

"No!" he said quickly, "I was just watching you and Zee, he's always been a friendly dog, but you're the first person I've seen him like this with other than Heero. I thought it was sweet."

"You going to go out there surfing alone?" I asked, opting to change the subject from Mr. Dangerous-Eyes to something more innocent and casual.

"Nah…" He looked out and pointed to three surfers in the water. "There! Trowa's out there with Wufei and Heero already." I followed his gaze and noticed that one of them was paddling to catch a wave and I watched, curiously. I wasn't sure which one it was, I didn't know them well enough yet to distinguish them from each other from this distance.

Whoever it was leaned down as he traveled down the wave, I watched as it started to break above him and started to close around him in a beautiful tube. It wasn't long before he was completely covered and I watched intently, I doubted he was going to get out ahead of it, still standing on his board. But, just as the wave was about to close out and he was spit out and emerged from the inside. He threw his arms up in the air in victory and rode over the peak before sitting down on his board and paddling back in line with the others. "He's good," was all I could say.

Quatre was watching as well, "That's Heero, he's the best that I know." He looked at me with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "Don't tell Trowa I said that."

"No worries," I chuckled.

"So, do you surf at all Duo?" How could I answer that? I didn't want to lie to the guy.

"Sometimes…" I said and Quatre looked at me like he wanted to press the issue, but was interrupted before he could by Zero bolting up and letting out a loud bark that caused us to both look back over the water. We watched as the guys started to paddle their way back towards the shore. "I heard Trowa qualified for the Gundams?"

Quatre looked at me again, "Yeah, he's been trying to get in for a few years now and hopes that maybe this is his year to actually compete." He looked excited for the taller man.

"You don't want to compete?" I asked.

"Nah, I like surfing… but competing just isn't my thing." He got a far off look on his face, telling me there was more to the story, but I wasn't going to pry. It wasn't my business.

"Guess you'll just have to cheer on your boyfriend," I said with a wink.

Quatre looked at me mouth agape, like a fish out of water. "What… how… huh?"

"Chill," I said and put a hand on his shoulder. "Sorry if I was out of line, I just kindda figured after you guys came into the shop." Quatre blushed fiercely and buried his face in his hands. "I'm sorry if I was wrong…"

"No, it's fine," he sighed and looked at me, a dark blush still coating his face. "You're right… we just try to keep it discrete."

I placed a hand on his shoulder and felt him tense up for a moment before relaxing. "I have no problems with it." I mean if I did would be a complete and total hypocrite. "I'll keep you secret, I promise." Quatre flashed me an appreciative smile. Looking back over the water we saw the others getting to their feet in the knee deep water and pulling their boards up into their arms. I moved to stand but was pushed back down when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"And where do you think you're going?" he asked.

"I figured it would probably be for the best if I wasn't here when Heero got here…" he looked at me for a moment and then decided to laugh.

"You'll be fine, I promise he doesn't bite." Quatre smiled. "Trust me, you guys just have to get to know each other."

I nodded and felt myself relax a bit. I watched them as they started walking towards us and then in a flash that happened so fast that if I blinked I would have missed it, Heero stumbled backwards awkwardly as he got an armful of a bubbly blonde woman who was laughing. I rolled my eyes, figures that the douchey asshole would have a hot girlfriend… I put my backpack behind my head, closing my eyes as I leaned back against it.

A wet towel was dropped onto my abdomen, jolting me to my senses, I looked up to level a glare at the perpetrator. His body was shielding my eyes from the sun and I was met with the sight of well-defined abs and wet tanned skin. I think I might have blushed slightly, and I knew that I should have looked away, but I couldn't help myself as I let my eyes wander over the planes of his body. As my eyes wandered over his chest and shoulders, I felt my heartbeat quicken its pace. This was the first look I had really gotten of his body, and it was up close in all its glory… and damn it if he didn't look like some chiseled sculpture. I brought my eyes up to his face, refusing to get caught staring at him. He smirked at me with a hint of amusement, causing me to groan and sit up. I pulled a leg to my chest and blew a bit of hair from in front of my face out of the way. I apparently hadn't been as subtle as I thought and I worried about what the asshole was going to say now.

"I see you decided to pick up a stray…" he said, looking at Quatre.

"Heero!" the blonde snapped at his friend. He might have been normally prickly but to me he was downright thorny.

"What? This is the guy who gave Zee those treats… the guy who made us all wake up before sunrise, whining… so he could go and find him."

Quatre looked at me and then at Heero, before he just burst out laughing. "So, let me get this straight… you're mad at Duo because your dog likes to spend time with him instead of you?"

"Damn Yuy, I never pegged you to be the jealous type," Wufei snorted as he sat down in the sand next to me. Trowa set down a cooler in the sand before taking a seat next to Quatre with a raised eyebrow and a chuckle. He leaned against the blonde's board, looking content and relaxed.

The blonde girl from earlier clicked her tongue in amusement, "Oh Heero…" She plopped herself down in the sand in front of Quatre and I, and extended her hand to me. "HI there, I'm Relena. I don't believe we've met before."

"Duo," I said as I flashed her a smile and took her hand. "I came here a few weeks back, this is the first time I've had a chance to make it down here." I ignored Heero when he snorted in disbelief behind her. It wasn't a lie… It was the first time I'd made it to this part of the beach and during the day. She shot him a glare that looked like it could have frozen the Bahamas and I chuckled… Someone was in the dog house tonight.

Heero turned around and grumbled something about getting a snack under his breath. "Sorry about him…" she said, turning back to me.

"It's fine," she looked at me warily, like she didn't believe me. "I just have no idea why your boyfriend hates me so much."

"Huh?" she looked at me in confusion. "Heero's not my boyfriend."

"Oh," I said, embarrassed. I was usually really good at reading people. "Sorry, I just figured with the way you were hugging him a little bit ago that you guys were a thing."

"That?" she laughed. "I just do that to make him uncomfortable, he has this thing about personal space and I like to fuck around with him." She smiled sweetly, causing me to smirk. "Besides, I'm not his type… lacking a few 'bits' and all." She winked at me, causing me to cough on the drink of water I'd taken from the bottle Quatre had given me from the cooler. The other three guys just laughed at me and Quatre patted me on the back.

"We're gonna head back out into the water and catch some more waves, do you want to join us?" Quatre asked. I shook my head, still trying to catch my breath after inhaling a bit of the water.

"Not today," I said, causing Quatre to frown and look a little disappointed. "I just want to sit and watch for a bit today."

Relena threw her arm around me and gave him a thumbs up. "I'll keep him company!"

Quatre nodded, grabbed his board and took off towards the water with the others. Relena and I watched them go and she sighed. I turned my head to get a good look at her this time. She was definitely beautiful, it was a classic beauty… like Audrey Hepburn. Her long blonde hair was pulled back in a loose French braid and strands were blowing lightly in the breeze. She was slim, but toned… black boardshorts clinging to her hips and a modest black and light pink rash guard on her chest. If I was straight then she probably would have taken my breath away. A hint of mischief played on her features as she gazed back at me with porcelain blue eyes. "Like what you see?"

I chucked, "Yeah, just missing a few 'bits,'" I said with a wink.

"Story of my life!" she threw her hands up in the air in mock frustration. I could tell I was going to like her, she seemed like a cool chick. "So, why aren't you out there with them?"

"I don't think I'm really good enough to…"

"Bull!" she exclaimed and I turned to stare at her in confusion. She had a glint in her eyes as she looked at me, a hint of something there… almost like recognition.

Well, Shit…

"Huh?" I gulped and turned my gaze out to watch the others that were now at the line-up and waiting to catch some waves of their own. I was able to figure out that it was Quatre who caught the next wave, his style was a bit mellow and soft. Each maneuver he performed would slide fluently into the next. He was a natural and extremely pleasing the eye. I wondered why he didn't want to compete, he was as good as anyone I'd competed against, I had no doubt he'd qualify for the Gundams if he tried.

"I'm not as clueless as these guys," she said following my gaze and watching Quatre surf, appreciatively. "I know who you are, I do enjoy paying attention to the professional rankings."

I smiled at her, I was surprised that she thought she knew who I was, I had changed my look a bit before I came to Sanc Island. When I was competing professionally before I came here, I was best known for my long tail of hair that I kept tied back into a braid, whipping behind me and slapping me in the back as I rode the turbulent waters. When Solo died, I opted to cut it and now it was hanging just about to my shoulders and I chose to wear it in a small ponytail when I wanted to keep it off of my neck. I ran my right hand through my bangs and leaned back on my left hand in the sand. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, but I figure that you have your reasons for keeping it quiet." She shrugged. "Your secret is safe with me…" she leaned in closer to me and whispered in my ear, "Reaper."

I shivered, part of me had hoped she thought I was someone else and she didn't have it right, but damn… she knew. "Thanks," I responded.

"I'm sorry about what happened to your brother," I felt a little prickle behind my eyes that threatened to become tears if I let it. I took a deep breath.

"Thanks."

"Are you doing ok?" she asked, looking at my torso. "You know… after…"

I turned to her and smiled. "Yeah, I'm recovering just fine, the stitches have healed up and now there's a scar, but it's weird still… I don't really have any sensation in that spot yet." I ran my hand absentmindedly along my side and abdomen where I'd been pierced by a rather large chunk of coral.

"Good," she sighed. "You should go out there and surf with them sometime though. Gotta get back up on that horse at some point." She winked and I chuckled.

"I do surf still," I said. "I just prefer to go out alone at night."

She stared at me in shock, "that's so dangerous though, Duo! What if you get hurt?!"

"I stick to the smaller waves…" I said and looked back at the guys. "Which one is that?"

She followed my gaze, "Heero." Quatre had said that Heero was one of the best he knew, and he really was good. Scratch that, he was incredible. He seemed relaxed and perfectly at home on the ocean. He surfed almost like he was reading from a textbook though, every move was rigid and he played it safe… but he had yet to fall.

Trowa was the exact opposite; he was doing aerials like nobody else and he had amazing control and a great center of gravity on the board during his maneuvers. Wufei was controlled and aggressive, he took any wave that came his way but had to bail on most of them. It was fun watching them, it gave me a lot of ideas for my own surfing. I couldn't try some of the riskier moves on my own at night, it was too dangerous and I didn't have a death wish.

Over the course of the next week I took to watching the guys surf from atop a nearby rock formation that was out of the way. I tried to avoid Heero as much as I possibly could and it seemed like he was trying to do the same; he made sure to do his grocery shopping after I'd gone home, and he only whistled for Zero in the mornings and didn't come down to fetch him from the beach anymore.

Trowa and Quatre had come into the store and gotten enough food to feed a small army for the week, and we had a nice conversation about absolutely nothing at all. Quatre had been uncomfortable the entire time, so that was why I was shocked to see Quatre coming with Relena to take a seat next to me on the rocks today. "Hey," I said and he smiled. Relena sat on one side of me and Quatre on the other, effectively making me the Duo filling to a blonde sandwich.

"Hi Duo," Relena smiled.

"Heya," Quatre chirped, he seemed to be a lot more comfortable today. "I'm sorry about last week, I don't know why Heero's being the way he is… he's usually a lot more mellow."

"Meh, not your fault, Q."

"What are you doing out here, anyway?" I pointed to the surfers out in the distance.

"Watching," I said. "Learning." After I'd sat here and watched the waves at the Surf this past week, it became easier for me to predict what they would do at night. I was almost to the point where I felt like I might be able to venture further than Coral Beach in my dark solitude. I watched, learning how the waves behaved, how the water moved based on the ground beneath it.

"Not like you need too…" Relena huffed in my ear. I gave her a look that clearly showed my displeasure but she just smiled coyly at me, acting all innocent.

"If you want, I'll surf with you tomorrow." I said, looking at Quatre. He turned to me and I noticed a brilliant smile light up his face. It was clear that he wanted nothing more than to hit the waves with me, and I felt like I could at least do that much for him after all the kindness he'd shown me.

"We can go to Coral Beach if you want, if you think the waves are too rough here…"

I chuckled, "I'm not exactly a beginner, Q." I said, feigning hurt and shock.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said quickly, a light blush coloring his cheeks. "I didn't mean…"

"Don't worry about it," I clapped him on the shoulder and smiled. "I'm just messing with ya! But yeah, I'm not a beginner so staying here at the Surf would be nice. Who else is going to join us?" I asked, uneasy at what his answer might be.

"Oh, the others are working on Sundays… so it'll be just us from our little group." He smiled and I couldn't help but return it, thankful that I wouldn't have to embarrass myself in front of Heero or the others.

"Let's head back to the beach," I said, standing up. Quatre and Relena followed suit and soon we were headed down towards the beach, laughing and joking like old friends. I felt lucky to have met some decent people here on Sanc.

We sat on the beach for a while longer, chatting and talking about the waves and the upcoming qualifying competitions. Eventually I found Relena lying her head across my lap and I didn't mind having her there; there was something comforting about the girls' presence… I wonder if that was because she knew who I was and I didn't have to hide from her. She also didn't seem to judge me and blame me for Solo's death… not like I did. When I saw the other three paddling back I stretched and moved to stand up.

"That's my queue," I groaned and reached my arms up, behind my head and popping my back a bit… ahh that felt good.

"Duo, you don't have to go…" Quatre said, putting his hand on my arm, and I felt a warmth spread through me. This guy was something else, reaching out to me even though one of his oldest friends hated me… his kindness touched me. I smiled at him and wrapped my arm around his shoulders and squeezing lightly.

"I do, but I'll see you tomorrow for some surfing?"

"Meet here at noon?" he asked.

I looked towards the water line and noticed the glare on Heero's face when he saw me and I started to jog away before the Asshole caught up to us. "I'll be here at noon!" I called over my shoulder and waved.

I hoped this wouldn't wind up being a mistake…


End file.
